RRH adds sworn peace officers to hospitals

Rochester Regional Health has begun adding sworn peace officers to its hospital security operation, starting at Rochester General Hospital in Rochester. The move follows New York legislation signed on Nov. 22, 2024, that granted peace officer status to certain security officers employed by the health system or its subsidiaries. Rochester Regional Health said it celebrated the graduation of its first class on May 14, 2026, and local outlets reported the officers will begin working at Rochester General on June 1. The change gives selected hospital security staff powers that go beyond a standard private security role, including the authority to make certain arrests on or adjacent to system property. ### When did this program become possible? New York state made the program possible when Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation in November 2024 amending the criminal procedure law for Rochester Regional Health security officers. The bill, sponsored by Assemblymember Harry Bronson and Sen. Samra Brouk, added Rochester Regional Health security personnel to the state’s list of peace officers for the geographic area of their employment on or adjacent to RRH property. (rochesterregional.org) Rochester Regional Health said on Nov. 24, 2024, that the law would allow specially trained team members to serve as peace officers while operating on or adjacent to RRH-owned or controlled properties once the program was fully developed and rolled out. Tim Tull, the system’s vice president of safety and security, said at the time that the bill would give the team “the tools and authority needed” to respond to emergencies and prevent violence. (nysenate.gov) ### What powers do the new officers actually have? WHEC reported on May 15 that the new peace officers will be able to detain and arrest people, issue appearance tickets, conduct searches and confiscate illegal guns. WXXI reported the officers also trained in firearm drills, de-escalation tactics, mental health arrests and other defensive techniques, and said felony cases would still be handled by the Rochester Police Department. (rochesterregional.org) WXXI quoted Michael Rhodes, Rochester Regional Health’s chief of public safety, saying the system was “not trying to provide a police state at the hospital” and that the officers were there to help patients, visitors and staff. Rochester Regional Health’s public-facing security page says its security teams already patrol hospitals and other locations around the clock and coordinate with local police and emergency responders. (whec.com) ### How many officers are in the first class? Rochester Regional Health said 18 team members completed the first peace officer class, and WHEC and RochesterFirst also reported 18 graduates. WXXI, in a May 19 report, described the inaugural class as 19 new peace officers. Rochester Regional Health’s own May 14 announcement is the clearest primary account and states that 18 team members completed the specialized training. (wxxinews.org) Rochester Regional Health is a nine-hospital system and the Rochester region’s second-largest employer, according to the organization. Rochester General Hospital, where the first officers are scheduled to start, is a 528-bed hospital at 1425 Portland Ave., according to the New York State Health Profiles site. ### Why did RRH say it needed the added authority? (rochesterregional.org) WHEC reported that Rochester Regional Health linked the rollout to an April incident in which Gregory Strickland allegedly threatened a nurse and security officers at Rochester General Hospital. Tammy Snyder, RRH’s senior vice president of system operations, told the station that staff previously had to wait for Rochester police to arrive and make an arrest, but under the new program the hospital’s peace officers would be able to act “in live time” and transport an individual to county jail. (rochesterregional.org) Rochester Regional Health said in its 2024 statement that violence in healthcare settings had become an increasing concern and that the designation was intended to protect staff, patients and visitors. That framing was echoed by Bronson and Brouk in statements released by the health system after the law was enacted. ### Where will the peace officers work next? Rochester General Hospital is the first site named for deployment, with officers scheduled to begin work there on June 1, according to WHEC. (whec.com) The same report said Rochester Regional Health expects to expand the peace officer program to Unity Hospital and other locations in the system next year. (rochesterregional.org) Rochester Regional Health’s legislation and security materials describe the authority as applying on or adjacent to RRH-owned or controlled properties, which gives the system a framework for expansion across multiple campuses once additional officers are trained. (nysenate.gov) (whec.com)